A review by alibrareads
SLAY by Brittney Morris

inspiring tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I love video games, and the discussion around inclusivity/representation/diversity in the gaming sphere is something I am familiar with. The problems Kiera faces are very relevant. This book hits on SO many aspects of being Black, including a heavy focus on why safe spaces for minorities are so important and worth protecting. And there’s also some discussion that I wasn’t expecting, like differences of opinion among Black people on what constitutes Black success and excellence in society. All of the characters played important roles in the story, whether they are supportive of Kiera or pit themselves against her and what her game represents. And Kiera herself felt like a believable teenager, with some thought spirals that I can totally see myself going down in that situation.

There were plenty of moments where I got angry and frustrated at the bad faith arguments and assumptions being made by certain people, but it was also wonderful to read about how a game like SLAY means so much to so many people. I’m just a layman when it comes to video game design, so I can’t speak to how realistic it is for someone with a high schooler’s resources to have developed a VR game with the kind of dynamic elements that SLAY has. But it sounds very fun, and it's full of black culture and love and references. I also got a dry chuckle out of the fact that everyone assumes that the developer of the game is a man, which is a whole other conversation about women in gaming that this book doesn’t get into.

Really enjoyed this!

YouTube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtAD3...